a new life
by sj2717
Summary: The team gets a new operational psychologist assigned by director Vance.  The catch is she has a history.
1. Chapter 1

"Our new psychologist will be arriving in two hours at LAX. Mr. Hanna, Mr. Callen I would like you to pick her up and bring her here." Hetty announced walking into the bullpen.

"What's her name?" Sam asked

"Dr. Casey parker."

"Why do we need a new shrink? I mean we have Nate." Callen hated shrinks they always tried to figure him out. Nate had taken a long time to train what was ok to ask and what wasn't and now he had to start over.

"Nate has gone back to Afghanistan. Dr. Parker is well trained and director Vance thinks she will do well here."

"Wait Vance picked her not you?"

"That is correct Mr. Callen now go get her then bring her to me." Hetty walk back upstairs leaving Sam and Callen staring at each other.

"Hetty's not happy about this." Sam said to Callen

"What gave it away? Come on and I'm driving"

"Fine by me, just make sure we get there alive." Sam smiled at the idea; everyone knew Callen had a lead foot. The man had received more tickets than anyone else in the office. He also like to weave in and out of traffic and had traumatized more than a few rookies to the point where they wouldn't get in the same car as him, even if he wasn't driving.

Dr. Parker made her way down to the baggage claim area. She had been up for almost three days straight. She managed to squeeze her way up to the conveyer belt just in time to see her suit case come out. Two men had come to stand next to her. She tensed slightly out of reflex, not remembering them from the plane. She looked them over filing their descriptions in her head. A tall African American, mid to late thirty's, well built, no hair, tattoo visible on right arm and a slightly short white guy ,very short brown hair, blue eyes, in good shape, no visible tattoos both of them where attractive the shorter more so, to her any way . Leaning forward she saw her bag coming around and stood back to wait for it. The white guy walked off, his friend staying next to her. She waited for a minute for her bag to go by when she didn't see it she leaned forward again looking up and down the belt but she couldn't see her bag anywhere on the belt.

"Looking for this." The white guy said with a smile.

"What do you want?" subconsciously taking a fighting stance.

"For you to come with us. There's someone who wants to meet you." He answered

"Who?" parker asked stalling for more time.

"We'll explain on the drive. "He said smiling more, he was obviously enjoying himself.

"Why shouldn't I just scream?"

"Because then you'd have to explain to Vance why you got us arrested." The guy turned and made his way outside knowing she would fallow him. He led her out to a red mustang.

"I'm special agent Callen this is special agent Hanna NCIS, Clime in."

"Why didn't you just tell me that to start with?"

"It was more fun this way. "Smiling Callen walked around the car put her bag in the trunk. His coconspirator, special agent Hanna smiled as he climbed in the back.

"You can get in or we can leave you here." Callen said shutting the trunk he went to the driver's side and got in.

Casey got in the car hoping that she wasn't making a huge mistake. As soon as Callen started the car the annoying little beeping noise started saying some one was not wearing their seat belt.

"Seat belts." Hanna said buckling his own; he knew Callen was going to make this drive as crazy as possible.

Callen looked over to Casey waiting for her to buckle up. She slid forward in her seat then buckled her belt behind her. Callen gave Hanna a pointed look, buckling your belt behind you was thing law enforcement did, it made a quick exit possible while stopping the warning noise from the car. Casey leaned down grabbing some papers out of her bag, as she sat you Callen floored it fling her back against her seat.

Casey adjusted herself bracing her legs and started reading. Callen speed down the road taking corners as fast as he could. Casey kept reading using her legs to keep from flying into Callen. She managed to stay in her set without looking up or moving her hands. Twenty minutes later Callen pulled up to what appeared to be an empty building.

"Where here." Callen climbed out of the car.

"It didn't realize it was such a long drive." Casey replied getting out and pulling the set up so that agent Hanna could exit the car.

Casey walked around to the trunk and took her bag out. Callen and Hanna shared a look that clearly said they thought the new Dr. was crazy.

Callen and Hanna led the way in to the building and over to the bullpen.

"You can put your stuff here, hetty wants to see you." Callen told her pointing to table.

"Who's Hetty?" Casey asked putting her suit case under the table.

"I am hetty. Welcome to NCIS Dr. Parker." Hetty had appeared out of nowhere. Casey turned to see who had spoken. When she so the small women she froze.

"Maxine?" Casey asked hesitantly.

The smile from Hetty faltered with surprise but she recovered quickly, so quick that most people wouldn't have noticed.

"Elizabeth, why are you here?"

"I retired and asked a friend for a job. Why are you here?"

"I am the head of this office. So if you're retired then Casey parker is?"

"My new identity." Casey had intended to let everyone she meet believe that Casey parker was her real name but Maxine or hetty deserved to know the truth.

"So not your real name then." Hetty asked with a small frown.

"It's the closest I have. And you, is hetty your real name?" Casey asked

"Henrietta Lange but everyone calls me hetty." A man and woman entered the room and went to stand by Callen and Hanna.

"Ah the rest of the team is here, let's introduce you then." Hetty smiled and walked over to the group Casey fallowing.

"Dr. Parker meets your new team, special agent Kensi Blye and Detective Marty Deeks our LAPD liaison and I believe you've met special agent Sam Hanna and special agent in charge G. Callen."

"Nice to meet you." Casey said inclining her head. The fact that she didn't attempt to shack their hands didn't go unnoticed.

"What kind of psychologist are you?" Deeks asked

"Behavioral, I have a PhD in behavioral analysis with a minor in criminal and forensic psychology." This seemed to unsettle the rest of the team. Their body language went from relaxed to defensive in an instant.

"Behavioral that's like a profiler right." Deeks asked

"Kind of, I studied human behavior and body language."

A loud whistle rang out and everyone looked up. There was a young blond guy at the top of the stair. The blond turned away from the rail and the team got up and started moving up stairs.

A few moments later Callen repapered looking down at Casey. He watched her asses the room wondering how long she would last.

"Hey, hetty wants you up here doc."

Casey looked up and saw Callen staring at her. She nodded and made her way up to him wondering briefly how long he had been watching her. Callen waited for her to reach the top of the stairs then he turned and went to the briefing room without saying a word.

Casey entered the room and stood next to the door. The blond guy was talking about the murder of a PFC named O'Conner. He was pulling photos up as he talked photos of the PFC and the murder scene.

"PFC O'Conner was recording a massage with his computer," the guy pulled up the video feed. "When another person entered the room, as you can O'Conner turns and speaks with someone, then he turns back to the computer and starts typing. He pulls out a flash drive gives the other guy the drive and turns back to the computer, then the guy pulls out a guy and shoots him. O'Conner died from a single shot to the head. I am running facial recognition on the kill as we speak. PFC O'Conner was part of the security detail for the nexus project, which has a leak, someone has been selling their progress to the Middle East, and we think it's going to Somalia but we haven't confirmed it, he was our contact inside and was scheduled for a meeting with us tonight, he was going to give us everything he had then he was being transferred." The blond guy finished turning around.

"Right Kensi you and Deeks see what you can find out about nexus. Me and Sam will take his house. Eric send us the address."

"Done." The blond 'Eric' told Callen hitting a few keys.

"Take Dr. Parker with you Mr. Callen." Hetty said

Callen looked for a moment like he was going to refuse but he and Hetty seemed to have a silent conversation which Hetty apparently won.

"Let's go doc."

"I'll be there in a moment. Hetty my I have a word with you." Callen didn't look very pleased by the delay. Hetty lead Casey down to her office. A few minutes later Casey came out and walked over to Callen and Sam.

"Are you ready to go now?" Callen ask sounding more than a little impatient.

"Yes, are you?" Callen turned and walked away without replying.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam had insisted on driving saying something about not wanting to jump out of a moving car and Callen call the front which left Casey to climb into the back seat. It took them a little over an hour to get to PFC O'Conner's apartment and Casey was sure that if Callen had driven they would have made it there in half the time. Sam pulled into the parking spot in front of O'Conner's apartment/murder scene.

"Have you ever been to a crime scene before doc?" Sam asked looking back at her.

"Yes."

"Good then you know not to touch anything then." Callen said opening his door and climbing out

"Out these on just in case." Sam handed her a pair of gloves and got out of the car.

Callen got out of the car and pulled the seat held the seat up for Casey. Casey waited for him to move so she could get out but it became quickly became apparent that he wasn't going to. Casey new he wanted to see if he could make her uncomfortable, he had left her just enough room to get out. Well two could play that game. Casey climbed out of the car using Callen for balance in place of the door. Once she got out she stopped pinning Callen between her and the car door. She could fell him tense agents her arm. Casey stayed there for a few seconds as she put the gloves on. When she finish she smiled at Callen they went to join Sam at the front of the car.

Sam had been watching them since he had gotten out of the car. Sam shocks his head, he knew what Callen was trying to do but he wasn't sure that Callen knew what he had just done. When Casey left the car Sam had to hold back a smile. Callen came to stand next to Sam keeping Sam between him and Casey and they made their way into the apartment. Once inside they guys went to the bedroom where O'Conner had been murder and Casey started making her way around the apartment.

Casey made her way into the living room noticing on her way that O'Conner was abnormally neat; everything was neat and put in its place. The mail was on a small desk fanned out and the magazines on the table where fanned out exactly the same way. All the movies and books where common. Casey walked over to the movies picking one up and looking it over putting it back she took another at random. She looked at a few more of the DVDs then made her way to the kitchen stopping briefly in the dining room pausing to move the chairs and look under the table. When she got to the kitchen she started going through the cabinets and draw examining everything. She checked the refrigerator and freezer. Then made her way to the first bed room then to the hallway bathroom. She checked everything, draws, closets, the medicine cabinet and shower. When she finished she went to find the guys.

Callen and Sam where reenacting the crime when she walked in.

"Did you guys find anything?" Casey asked walking around the room. She noticed a stack of paper plates and a box of plastic forks next to a microwave.

"No, how about you doc?" Sam asked.

"A lot." Casey answered walking into the adjoining bathroom.

"Well are you going to share?" Callen asked sounding a little inpatient.

"yeah." Casey came back out of the bathroom. "This apartment is a fake; the whole thing is staged except for this room and this bathroom."

"Ok someone lives here just look around." Callen gestured around the room.

"Yes someone lives here in this room. This is the only real room in the house. Everything in the rest of the house is new. Nothing has been used except what's in this room." They looked skeptical so she decided to show them.

"look this room is lived someone slept here recently, someone showered in that bathroom and changed their clothes today but the other room" Casey left the bed room and went to each room as she spoke." Has never been used. The pillows are still in plastic and the bedding still has the price tag on it. The bathroom in the hallway is all set up toothpaste and brush, shampoo, body wash all new never opened. The kitchen is the same. It has everything someone would need to cook and eat but everything is new and everything in the house has a theme. The refrigerator works but only has water in it. The freezer is full of TV dinners and there is no trash or any other food but there is a microwave in the bed room with paper plates and plastic forks. Also nothing in the living room is real. The movies are just empty boxes, the books are random, nothing in the apartment is plugged in except for the refrigerator for that matter some of the lights don't have bulbs in them. None of the furniture has been moved in a long time you can tell by the marks in the carpet. So do you believe me now?" She finished turning to Callen.

Callen didn't answer her. He pulled out his phone and called Eric putting the phone on speaker.

"Eric I need you to find out whose name this apartment is in."

"Ok give me just a sec. uh oh."

Callen and Sam shared a another look

"Uh oh what Eric?" Sam asked stepping closer to the phone.

"No one rents that apartment. It looks like it's a show apartment, one of three on the property."

"Then what's O'Conner's home address?"

"His file has that apartment listed and I can't find another one."

"Who's in charge of showing this apartment?" Callen asked looking at Casey like this was her fault.

"Kelly Scott is the head rental agent. She would be the person showing the apartments to people."

"Send me the address. Have Kensi and Deeks found anything yet."

"The address is on your phone, but she should be at the office, and Kensi and Deeks just got the files so nothing yet." Callen hung up the phone

"Let's go see Miss Scott about a new apartment." Callen said walking out of the apartment with Sam and Casey fallowing.


	3. Chapter 3

Deeks and Kensi sat at their desks surrounded by files. The smart asses in the navy had sent them hard copies instead of digital copies of the files they had requested. So far they had found the list of people involved in the project and Eric was running their names down while they looked for anything that would tell them what nexus was.

"Looks like bio research." Deeks said

"Yeah except it's illegal to run this kind research unless you're looking for the cure and you have the government's approval and even then there's no reason to be in LA. The only labs that are allowed to do this level of research and have the right equipment are back east."

They had been working for over an hour and all they had to go on where the names of a six man security team, four scientist and some references to Zaire and the Ivory Coast.

"Hey Kensi do you know what the Filoviridae virus is? Deeks asked looking of from his pile of files.

"It's a family of RNA that can cause hemorrhagic fever. Why?"

"Because at the top of this list." Deeks handed her the file he had been looking at.

Kensi took the file looking it over she knew they had a bigger problem then they thought.

"This is a list of fatality rates and how to spread Ebola and smallpox, it also looks like they have tried to combine the two. " Kensi looked up.

"Ok, that's bad right." Deeks asked sounding unsure.

"Ebola Zaire kills an average of 94% of the people that become infected, luckily it is not air born and usually doesn't infect more than 300 people at a given time. Smallpox on the other hand only kills around 40% of the people infected but it is air born and very easily spread. If the two where combine it would be a disaster. There is no cure for Ebola and by mixing it with smallpox these people could ensure that their virus is unstoppable." Hetty answered coming to stand next to Deeks.

Eric appeared at the top of the stairs and whistled. "I found something you need to see." Eric said

Hetty, Kensi and Deeks where stand in front of the data screen.

"Ok, so I ran the names of the security team first and I found nothing, their service records are clean, but when I ran the names of the scientist I found this." Eric paused punching a few buttons. "Three of the scientists are known associates of this woman. She has no name only a description and a single photo "

Eric pulled up the information and photo. The woman had the girl next door look. She was 5'2, one hundred pounds, Caucasian, brown hair and green eyes. She has four tattoos on her back, two crosses one on each shoulder, one fairy on her lower back and a sun, moon and clouds between her shoulder blades. She had only one known scar witch was on her left thigh, from where she had been shot during her escape from Russia. The woman had been in Russia to buy bio weapons for her employer, whom was never named. Her age and nationality are unknown.

"Is it just me or does the mystery lady look just like our new shrink?" Deeks asked.

"Yeah, that's why I called you guys up here." Eric answered. "I did some checking and Dr. Casey parker has an exceptionally boring back round, and I mean boring. She has no criminal back ground not even a parking ticket. Her school records show her in the top 3% her class but there are no achievement awards. Her employment and finical records show nothing unusual. It's the kind of background people get when they leave a government agency; funny thing is when I tried to look deeper at her records I hit a brick wall. And by hit a brick wall I mean smacked upside the head with it. Someone froze me out and locked up my system. "

"Call Callen tell him he needs to get back here immediately." Hetty said staring at the photo.


	4. Chapter 4

Callen, Sam and, Casey walked into headquarters 45 minutes after Callen received a very cryptic call from Eric telling them to 'come back now' but he refused to say why. The three of them made their way up stairs to the briefing room.

"So what's the" Callen stopped speaking mid-sentence when he saw the photo of Casey up on the screen. She had red hair now but Callen could tell that it was the same person.

"What's going on Eric?" Callen asked Eric. Both Sam and Casey where looking at the photo.

"I had Eric call you back." Hetty said walking in behind them. "Dr. Parker we found the names of the scientist on nexus, when we ran them we found this." Hetty pointed up to the screen. "She has no name and is listed as a known associate of three of the four scientists. All three are Russians that defected to the U.S. four years ago. This photo was taken just over five years ago. I was hoping you could enlighten us on who they are and what you were doing with them."

Casey stared at the screen. The photo was of a woman she had been, Darla was the name she had gone by. That job took longer than almost all the others she had done she thought to herself, and in the end all the intelligence she had gathered had been locked away only to be used in the most extreme situations. She stared a moment longer before turning to Hetty.

"I was working; my job was to get close to the lead scientist of the red night, Dmitry Yeltsin. The red night was a group of scientist who, after the government stopped their research, struck out to turn a neat profit while striking a blow to any one they perceived an enemy of Russia by developing bio-weapons and selling them. I was to finding out exactly what kind of bio-weapon they were working on and when they were going to start release them to their buyers. Their government knew what they were doing but left them alone. They had been forced to stop all research on bio-chemical weaponry do to a few treaties and the group gave them a way to keep researching without violating any of those treaties. It was a good plan and was working. The group was in opperation for over two years. I contacted Dmitry with the pretense of purchasing their new weapons but once the government found out that some other members of the treaty had continued their research under the pretense of 'finding a cure' they decided to end the group's privet work and bring them back to government labs." Casey paused looking back to the photo." I had been with the group for seven months when they were recalled. When Dmitry found out that the group was going to be brought back into the government he gave myself and several others over and then the hunt was on. We knew what they were really doing and we needed to be silenced." Casey finished

"What where they working on?" Hetty asked

"They were trying to make several viruses in to bioweapons including Lassa fever, Rift Valley fever, Ebola virus and pneumonic plague."

"Do you recognize any of these men?" Hetty asked nodding at Eric.

Three more photos joined Casey's on the screen. Casey looked over at them and nodded.

"Christophe, alexander and Nikola I don't know their last names but all of them worked on the pneumonic plague and Ebola viruses. Dmitry introduced me to them as I was going to buy both when they were finished."

"Do you have an idea as to why they would defect to the U.S.?" Hetty asked

"No, they loved Russia. But I don't know much about them, most of my dealings where with Dmitry. Do you know what they are working on?" Casey asked

"Yes, we think they are trying to combined Ebola Zaire and smallpox." Hetty answer

"A weapon like that would kill millions inside of a month. And we have no way to fight it if they succeeded. Do you have any other questions?" Casey asked wondering how much Hetty really knew about her and how the team felt about her past.

"Not at the moment."

"I do" Eric said drawing Casey's attention. He was the only one that didn't seem completely stunned by what Casey had said. "What's your real name?" Eric asked

"It's complicated but Casey's what it is now." Casey answered with a small smile.

Sam and Callen hadn't moved or said anything they seemed to be shocked into silence but Casey knew it would pass and then the questions would start.

"well I think it's time you three went to see Joshua Stevens, Kensi called Ms. Scott and was informed that the apartment PFC's O'Conner was staying in was being renovated be Mr. Stevens the apartment complexes maintenance man. Eric sent you the address." Hetty walked out of the room with every one's eyes one her.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam, Callen and, Casey pilled back into the car. Sam drove fallowing the gps directions to Mr. Stevens' house. The drive was quite no one knew what to say or where to start. Sam turned down a side street and, slowed to a stop outside of Mr. Stevens' house. The house looked like a replica of the houses on either side of it. The whole street was made up of small one story houses; they were all painted the same shades of white.

"Stay next to me and if anything goes wrong hit the ground and stay there." Sam said stopping in front of the house.

"What you're not going to make me wait in the car?" Casey asked

"Not in this neighborhood. Besides if someone starts shooting there going to come this way and if you sitting in the car they'll do one of two things, shoot you and keep running or take the car with you in it then shoot you later." Sam and Callen got out of the car and Callen pulled the seat up for her to get out, then he walked over to Sam not waiting for her to get out. Once they were all out they made their way up to the door. Casey walking one step directly be hide Sam.

Callen went to knock but when his hand made contact with the door it opened.

"Get inside quickly." The man looked frightened.

"Mr. Stevens'" Callen asked his hand moving closer to his gun.

"Yes, yes, now get in before they see you." The man said while pulling at Callen's sleeve. Sam pulled his gun as the three of them fallowed the man in.

"Who's watching you Mr. Stevens?" Callen asked checking the windows while Sam secured the door.

"The Russians, the ones that where after Shane. "The man said sitting back behind what looked like 20 computer screens.

"How do you know where not with the Russian?" Casey asked earning a glare from Callen.

"Because your cops, you were at the apartment I setup for Shane."

"How did you know that?" Callen asked

"When Shane came to me about a place to stay and he told me why he needed it I set up cameras at the apartment and here." Stevens answered; he seemed to be calming down.

"What did O'Conner say needed the apartment for?" Casey asked

"He wanted it for when they found out he was informing on them. That way they would have some trouble finding him when he was relocated. He was worried they might come here when they couldn't find him, so I told him I would move to Florida and once he was settled in he was going to call me so I could move closer to him."

"Just how do you know each other?" Sam asked

"I am his uncle."

"We didn't find any mention of family in the area." Callen said

"My parents adopted his mother when I was eighteen she was eleven. The social worker said she was a problem child; we were her twenty second family in five years. But my mother liked problems, all the children they fostered where problems most of them were about to age out of the system. Natalie was their youngest, and their favorite. She met James O'Conner when she was a freshman in collage they were married the day after she graduated. Shane was born eleven months later."

"So when Shane got into trouble he called his uncle that wasn't listed as a relative on any of his paperwork." Sam said looking at Casey.

"Because family would be the first place any one would check when looking for someone in hiding. Why do you think the Russians are watching you?" Casey said

"Because Shane said they were leaking information over seas and he was helping to bring them down."

"Sam do you have pictures of the scientists?" Sam got his phone out pulled up the photos and handed the phone to Casey.

"Do any of these people look familiar?" Casey asked showing Stevens the phone and scrolling throw the pictures.

"That one." Stevens pointed at Nikola. "He went to the apartment a lot."

"Any of the others go there or just him?" Casey asked but before he could answer tires squealed and the windows exploded with gunfire. Casey grabbed Mr. Stevens, pulling him to the floor. Sam and Callen drew their guns and began firing at the car. Casey drew her gun and cover Mr. Stevens with her body. But the shooting stop as quickly as it had started, Sam turned to make sure everyone was ok while Callen stayed at window.

"Every one ok?" Callen asked not looking away from the window.

"I'm ok but Mr. Stevens isn't." Casey answered moving away from Mr. Stevens' body. He had been shooting three times and one of the shots had hit him in the neck. Sam came over and checked the body.

"He's dead." Sam said looking at Callen. "Crap" Callen said finally looking away from the window "where did you get a gun?" Callen asked.

"Hetty gave it to me." Casey answered then looked at Sam. "What do we do now?"

"We call this in then we go back to HQ." Sam said putting his gun away Callen and Casey fallowed Sam's lead put their guns away as well.

"Why would Hetty give you a gun?" Callen asked moving over to the computer screens.

"Because I asked for one when she told me I going out in the field."

"I wonder if Eric can get anything off of these, maybe a plate or at least a shot of the car that was shooting. Why would you need a gun you have us to shoot for you?" Sam and Casey walked over to stand next to Callen. Casey looked under the table and smiled.

"What would I do if you two are in another room when someone starts shooting, point an imaginary gun and say bang and hope they die from laughter?" Casey said pointing her imaginary gun at Callen, Sam tried to hide his smile. "Why don't we just take these to him and ask" Casey asked.

"right you two start unplugging them and I'll go call this in, and you could always try yelling for help, when you imaginary gun miss fires." Callen said walking away to call. Sam started laughing while trying to unplug all the towers. Casey shot him with her imaginary gun then started helping him unplug everything.


End file.
